You Were Always My Hero
by Rurucadooloo
Summary: It was all fun and games until Garou decided he wanted to be an actual monster. But what could she do to save him from himself? (Drama/Comedy/Friendship/Romance) May update to M later.
1. Chapter 1: Little Monsters

**Chapter 1: Little Monsters**

There were about half a dozen kids huddled together on the other side of the playground at the city park. It was a mere block away from the elementary school these rowdy boys attended. Their snickers were a kind of childish laugh tainted with corruption, like they had a devious plan in the works. Of the six mischievous children, there amongst them stood the tallest boy, Tatsu. Well bodied for a child and dressed in slightly nicer clothing than the rest. The other boys seem to listen to him, copying his demeanor and egged his every action on.

That faithful afternoon, they had one purpose for being there: to find a monster. It wasn't just any monster, either. Tatsu had a certain face in mind as he punched the air with his child sized fists. "I'm Justice Man!" loud cheers erupted from the group, an ominous warning for what was about to go down. The boys laughed and shoved and sang the theme of their favorite hero. They yelled out crude remarks like 'death to all monsters'!

"Where are you going Garou?!" Tatsu called out as he spotted his target try to slip away. The group approached in strides, like a pack of wolves surrounding its prey. The boy, Garou, suddenly found himself surrounded from all angles. Badum, badum, his small heart pounded as Tatsu stepped forward, "You don't want to play heroes with us?" he smugly stared down the shorter boy.

"I just want to go h-"

"Garou the poop monster!" Tatsu cut him off with shove. The white haired boy let out a gasp as he fell back into one of the other boys only then to be shoved to the ground. "H-hey stop! I don't want to play heroes!"

"Why? Do you want to admit that monsters SUCK?" The taller boy towered over him. Cruel eyes burning themselves into the young boy's mind and gritted his teeth, "No! it's just that this whole game is unfair!"

The boys edged closer, the two behind Garou took him by the arms and held him in place. It was as if dark shadows possessed them, their laughter ringing like tiny demons as they took turns hitting the white-haired boy. They all chanted his name, 'Monster, Monster, Monster!'

Why? Why was it always him? He struggled against their clutches, desperate to fight back against 'Justice Kick' and 'Justice Cross'. There was no justice in what he felt, just pure humiliation. A frustrated yell escaped him and the tears followed after. The laughter made his head spin. The kicks made his face hurt. As he sucked in a sharp painful breath of air and glanced up at Tatsu, something unexpected happen.

Someone intervened.

A boy had come running from the other side of the park and shoved through the little circle until his shoulder collided with Tatsu's chest. Suddenly Tatsu's frame went toppling to the ground. He'd never been the one on the ground, yet here he was staring wide eyed in utter dismay that someone dared to challenge him.

"What was that for?!" Tatsu yelled, anger overwhelming him.

"Your stupid game is unfair!" the boy snapped back just as angry, "6 against 1?!"

"He's the monster! We're playing heroes you idiot," Tatsu was back on his feet and readily tried to push the boy with the high-pitched voice. The boy moved out of the way and stuck out his foot and tripped Tatsu to the ground, "Still not fair!"

"H-hey, I know you, you're Maria from Class A," one of the boys shook in his shoes, "T-tatsu! She's a r-real monster!"

"You're a girl?!" Tatsu pointed his finger at the intruder. The girl had short black messy locks of hair cut like a boy's. Her eyes were grey and filled with hatred directed right at the bully. She was dressed in an oversized t-shirt and a pair of shorts. Normal enough, however, everyone seemed to have their eyes on her right arm. The bandages wrapped their way up to her shoulder.

"That's right. I'm the monster," she announced fearlessly as she began to undo the fabric on her arm, "And if I touch any one of you with my bare hand, YOU'LL GET SICK AND TURN INTO A MONSTER TOO!"

All six boys stumbled back, some screamed while others made a desperate run in separate directions. When all of them disappeared, the girl known as Maria turned to find Garo still on the ground, his eyes filled with awe and astonishment. They lingered on her face, her light olive complexion bathed in the orange rays of the setting sun. He recalled a quick glimpse of her in the halls of school. She'd had long hair earlier in the year. "Are you okay?" She asked him as she extended her right hand out, the red skin completely exposed. Almost instantly she retracted as his stare was fixated on her skin. The rush of adrenaline that made her intervene had begun to wear off, and the white-haired boy could tell that his gaze made her uncomfortable. She puffed her cheeks sheepishly and began to quickly wrap her arm up, trying to hide the red patchy skin that decorated it.

"Would they really have turned into monsters?" the white-haired boy asked. To his disappointment the girl shook her head and extended her other hand to help him up.

"No. But mom and dad said that it'll scare away the bullies."

"What's wrong with your arm?"

"I burned it playing with fire."

Truthfully, this was the longest conversation he had ever had with someone. Outside Tatsu's group who only spoke to terrorize him, this was all to new for the boy. "Man, that's so cool though! You made them run just by scaring them! Just like a monster would!"

The girl looked at him with her wide eyes, a hint of sadness glistened in her gaze, "Why didn't you run away then?"

"Because," he stood up and tried to rub his bloody nose on his sleeve, "I'm a monster too!"

She blinked confused, "You're a monster? Why would anyone want to be a monster?"

He nodded quickly, "Because- Monsters are way cooler than stupid heroes. Heroes are always the popular kids and bullies. The monsters are the ones that always get ganged up on and it's never fair!"

"Ohh," the girl nodded, trying to make sense of what the boy was saying. When it registered in her mind, the frown on her lips turned into a smile. "So you like monsters?"

"Definitely!"

"Well, if they ever play heroes again, I'll come be a monster with you. We can fight those stupid heroes off together."

The white-haired boy smiled. Was there someone else that finally understood him?

"Yeah!"

* * *

"Got you-ah ouch! Hey stop it!" a woman's voice was heard wrestling something in the dense branches of a tree. There was a moment's struggle which shook off a couple leaves before a figure hopped down to the concrete holding a hefty cat in her arms. Maria had gone up on request of a child claiming that the cat was theirs. However now that she had retrieved it the kid was no longer in sight.

"…was I just bamboozled by a brat?" she asked herself as she stared at the cat clawing away at her arms. Man, today was not her day. Like every other twenty-year old, Maria seemed to be facing the great struggle of their generation-finding a job.

By now, she had built up a reputation that kept her from working at any fast-food establishment. It was as if she were cursed in the kitchen, or in near proximity of one. Food almost always tended to combust. Bacon and eggs? Always burned to a nice crisp. Omurice? Charcoal with a cute squiggly ketchup garnish. Ramen? Somehow the ingredients would be ablaze in the bowl or the liquid would reach boiling temperatures and shoot out to attack her. It made no sense, but then again nothing in this world ever made sense. Hell, people turned into monsters for no reason. Or so that's what the public believed.

Maybe it had to do with her fixation with fire.

Whatever, she had long let that theory go. All those years of obsessing over power to protect the few people she cared about. Now it was all about trying to get her life together. She wanted a normal job that could pay the rent. After that? She wasn't quite sure.

"You know, you're an ugly fella," Maria held the big cat by the back of its neck. The furry animal had it's face scrunched inward like someone had punched it into oblivion, "No wonder the kid abandoned you. She probably put you up there herself." She decided to take the cat home, it's little pompous ass wouldn't survive out there in the streets of City Z, probably turn into a tasty snack to one of the many monsters that liked to pop up around the place. It was a dangerous area. Not too far away from the ghost town. Completely abandoned since it had been overrun by monsters.

"Hello," she greeted the empty apartment, finally letting the cat jump out of her arms. The furball made a dash and went to hide under the couch, its yellow eyes piercing through the shadows that covered it.

"Talk about ungrateful, I just saved your life!"

The damn thing hissed in response. What had she brought into her home? The apartment was in good condition. It was a simple lay out. One small bedroom, a bathroom and a small living room area that had window to the kitchen. She didn't have too much. Just the essential furniture like a couch and table. Instead of a tv, there was a computer to the side of the window. She'd gotten the place for a good price thanks to the location. Too bad she didn't have a proper job to be able to pay off the rent. The three months since she's moved into the place, she'd had to use money from her parents' inheritance.

She went into her room to change, happy to be able to change into a comfy sport bra and leggings. She stood before the mirror to tie her hair. Her once short black hair had grown down passed her shoulder blades. Then, after getting her hair out of the way, she removed the bandages on her right arm, allowing the skin to breath. Her grey eyes lingered over the burn marks that began from her right collar bone, down her shoulder and to her fingers. They had healed long ago but left her arm an utter mess.

"Oi, oi, are you still under the couch?" Maria plopped down on the floor with some microwaved steak. Thankfully, the food didn't explode in the microwave this time, "Are you hungry?"

She placed a couple pieces on the floor beside her until the little sassy furball made its way out. It chomped down on the pieces of meat, and then looked up at Maria with dangerous eyes. "What. The fuck?" Did this cat just release a deadly aura? Maria slowly placed the entire plate on the floor, somehow complicit to the cat's unspoken demand. Almost instantly the steak was devoured.

"Your welcome!" she remarked as went right back under the couch without so much as a purr. Maybe she should name the little shit Fuckface.

Just as she was contemplating what her next move was as a new mother to a four-legged furry devil the doorbell rang.

'_Who could that be?'_ she thought as she got up and grabbed her cardigan that hung on the coat rack. Was it Sensei? She didn't recall ever giving him her address. In fact the only person who knew she lived here was…Maria's eyes widened. Her heartbeat was suddenly racing as she leaped to the door and swung it open.

"Garo-"

The mailman blinked at her as he was about to push the mail through the slip, "uhm, I'm sorry, I accidentally hit the bell."

Ah, that's right. She'd accidentally subscribed to a heroes magazine.

She wondered what level of stupid she was on to still think Garou would show up. The crushing feeling of disappointment replaced the excitement and she found herself standing gloomily in place.

Was he really out of her life for good?

* * *

End Chapter

**Author's note: Hey everyone! Thanks so much for reading my first chapter! I hope you guys liked it! I just want to mention that, I bumped up Garou's age a bit because I am planning to do some smut and I don't feel comfortable writing that with characters who are less than 20 years old! and also also, Garou, like most of the other characters in OPM don't look 18. Anyways, lemme know what you think, it really helps motivate me to continue! The plot will be connected to whats in the manga/anime!**


	2. Chapter 2:Daily Grind of the Unemployed

**Chapter 2: The Daily Grind of the Unemployed**

"- rabbit!"

"tofu!"

"-u-umbrella"

"Apple!"

"E-ehm elephant-"

"You already used that word!"

"Ah! E-eh-"

"3-2-"

"Egg!"

"Nope! It has to be four or more letters which means, I win!" Maria threw her thin arms in the air and jumped with such glee that it drowned out Garou's objections. Shiritori was a game they had recently discovered and it had quickly became their favorite thing to do. The rules were simple, you think of a word that starts with the last letter of your opponent's word. When they weren't talking about the latest episodes of the Justice Man TV show, this was one way to keep them entertained as they made their way home.

"NO-lets do it one more time!" Garou demanded once his friend calmed down. She wagged her finger, and her entire hand with it, "Nuh-uh, I won and that means you have to do what I say for the rest of the day!"

"Fiiine. What do you want me to do?"

She seemed so excited, like she had been waiting for this moment since the day they had begun the afterschool ritual, "Promise me that we'll always be friends."

He blinked, "eh?" his lips parted in utter surprise. His little heart began to race. It felt like a dream to the white-haired boy or like those children shows were two friends faced the world together. She considered him that good of a friend? Did she want to face the world with him?

"You said you'll do whatever I want if I win!" she reminded him, "Promise me that you won't ever leave me." This time a faint red blush forming on her cheeks. A shy smile unfolded on his lips and he gave her a small nod, "Promise."

Right before the white-haired boy had the chance to truly let the moment sink in there was a disruptive sound that came from behind them. Both kids looked over their shoulders to find Tatsu riding his bike their way, his friends close behind. They were like dark shadows Garou couldn't shake off.

"We don't want to play with you guys," Garou stood his ground in front of Maria. There was something inside of the boy that changed. The more encounters he had with the bully the more he felt his anger awaken, "Leave us alone."

"Maria missed you while you were gone. Did she tell you how she cried when she played with us?"

His eyes widened and his head snapped toward Maria who glared daggers at Tatsu. The boy's laugh was sinister to the two, "She's a better monster than you Garou. She looks and acts like one!"

"Shut up!" Garou snapped as he tried to grab at Tatsu's bike. Meanwhile one of the other kids had taken out a shaken bottle of soda and opened it up right in Maria's face. The sticky liquid getting on her clothing and arm. She let out a surprised yelp.

"Hey leave her alone!" Garou shoved one of the boys off his bike. It was his last attempt to get back at the bullies before they held him down on the ground and Tatsu had his chance to wail on him. It always ended with him getting beaten up. Always.

"It was really uncool how you flipped out in class last week."

Maria threw a paper ball at Tatsu, "Leave us alone you asshole or I'll make voodoo dolls of you idiots."

The kids gasped at the curse word, suddenly hesitant to continue their rash behavior, "Didn't two of you get sick the other day after you bullied me? That's because I cursed you with dark magic! Now leave us alone before I make you guys get the measles!"

All but Tatsu backed away, "Tch. Liar. You think we're stupid?"

"No its true look," she pulled out a notebook and showed them the weird drawings of two boys drawn in bed and little ghost floating above them.

Some of the boys screamed witch and began to encourage the others to leave. Tatsu the last one standing glared at the girl, "You ugly monster. It makes sense your only friend is a loser obsessed with them!"

The boys left the scene, leaving to very emotionally distraught children on the sidewalk. Garou sat up with bruises on his face and Maria plopped down beside him, the constant bullying chipping away at Garou's patience. She choked out a laugh, trying to not let their words get to her, "I drew that picture after I found out they were sick…I thought I could use it to scare them away."

"You're really smart Maria."

"I just think our bullies are really stupid."

Garou was quiet for a moment. The bullies from his class went to bully her with their stupid hero game while he was suspended. The inside of his chest felt tight and he felt helpless. The anger he had boiling inside him, exploded at Tatsu's cruel words toward Maria. Oh, how he wished he was strong enough to punch the jerk to oblivion. He hated Tastu. Hated, hated, hated, hated, Tatsu. How was someone so rotten be so popular? Why did the adults believe someone like him? How was their source of misery loved by everyone else?

"You okay Garou?" he looked up at her. Strangely enough, he came to a resolve upon looking at his friend. One that felt like it was fueled with a childish need for payback and one of a overwhelming desire to protect the one person that relied on him.

"I need to get stronger."

* * *

"You brought a friend over!" Maria's mother had her head poking out the frame of the kitchen door as the young girl took off her shoes by the entrance, Garou following her lead. The white-haired boy had a faint blush on his cheeks as the mother came right over to greet them. He gulped, worried for a second that she would be like every other adult he dealt with. It was only yesterday his suspension was lifted and he was allowed to go back to school after Tatsu and his friends got him in trouble in class.

She was a beautiful tall woman with a youthful face. She had wide warm brown eyes and a nicely shaped face that could be on a magazine. "Why are you all bruised up?" she asked overtly worried. Then she noticed her own daughter's clothing were damp and the bandages tinted brown.

"He tried to beat up Tatsu after they he splashed me with soda," Maria answered casually, almost unfazed by her own words, too busy thinking about how Garou agreed to her promise. Her white-haired friend on the other hand, looked flustered and he tried to cut her off to no avail, "Garou would've won if his stupid friends didn't get in the way."

"Was this at school?!"

"No. We were walking home."

"Come inside, Maria go change and wash up, Garou baby come with me, lets get some ice for the swelling," she took his hand and lead him in the kitchen. The boy sat timidly on the edge of his seat. Every fiber in his muscles were tense, so much so that he was one word away from tearing up. She was going to scowled him for getting into a fight, just like the counselor at school and just like his parents who only looked down at him in disapproval.

"Here you go baby," this time the woman's voice was gentler, and she was down on her knees in front of him, placing the ice pack against his swelled cheek, "I know it hurts, but it'll go away." She reassured him, mistaking his tears of frustration with pain, "Thank you for helping Maria."

There was a sudden scream that came from down the hall, followed by a fit of giggles and pleas. It was seconds later did a big man come in carrying Maria over his shoulders like she was some plank of wood, "I heard there's a hero sittin' in the kitchen!"

"No baba, we're the monsters that fight the mean heroes," Maria corrected him, "He's my monster hero because monsters are cooler!"

"Right!" the father played along with their game, completely unaware of the implications it had on either child. "Did you sock 'em in the nut? That's where you should always aim and then run."

"Mana!"

"Hey if they're gonna fight, they need to know where to aim!" he set the girl down, "Anyways, Garou was it?"

"Y-yes sir!" Garou straightened up in his seat.

"Hey relax there bud. No one's gonna chew ya out for helping our daughter. I'd have done it myself if I were there- not that its acceptable for a man to beat up a kid…anyways that's beside the point. What I'm tryin' to say damn it, is that yer always welcomed in this household." The boy couldn't understand their kindness. To him, not only did he fail to win against the popular kids, he got hurt in the process. What if they had really tried to hurt Maria? Would her parents still be singing those high praises?

"Why don't you to go inside, I'll call you when dinner is ready. "Maria's mother dismissed them, "Garou, you'll stay for dinner, okay?"

He gave her a nod and followed Maria to her room.

* * *

It was a bright and sunny day in Z-City. There wasn't a cloud in the sky as Maria waited near the city park. With time to spare, the black-haired woman found herself watching the children toss yen coins into the water fountain. It was a puzzling action to the young woman, why did people toss perfectly usable money into a water fountain? Were they paying the Gods to give them good fortune? It was the same concept of offering food to the dead. All that food goes to waste because obviously, the dead can't eat it. She wondered how socially accepted it would to walk right over and collect all the money that had been accumulating at the bottom. Would there be a public penalty? Would a God she didn't believe in curse her? Maybe if she waited until the middle of the night no one would be around to see her do something so shameless. There was bound to be at least 50,000 yen just sitting there. That could pay for some groceries. This wouldn't be considered stealing, right?

Just as she made her way to the fountain and was considering scooping up a handful, someone calling her name drew away her attention from the probably petty crime she was about to do.

"Ah Charanko!"

"Thanks for the measles!" Maria smiled to herself as she played the game shiritori with herself. The catch with this version was to add a random word to the end of an expression. They shared a small booth in a rather crowded restaurant.

"Measles? That's a little morbid," her friend across the table remarked. He had shaggy orange hair and brown eyes. Charanko was his name, about the same age as her, but neither had much in common other than their shared interest in the martial arts and hardly that applied. Charanko was a simple guy. Simple ambitions. They sat in a restaurant booth together. One of those casual in and out places that served heartily meals. It was Maria's favorite type of food these days.

"You're morbid," she answered back as she stabbed the hamburger steak on her plate and began chowing down. The hot taste of beef mixed with the runny yolk of the egg on top…She was lost in utter bliss. How long had it been since she had a proper meal? Too long, way too long.

"When was the last time you've eaten?" Charanko watched her less than lady like manners with skepticism. Maria had a pretty face but that was the extent of her feminism.

"My demon roommate eats everything," she answered in between mouthfuls of food, "Last night the asshole chewed threw all my groceries."

Roommate? He? Woah, what kind of human chews through groceries?

"And what's worse, he didn't even touch the food I brought for him!" That's right, Fuckface had claimed her apartment as his territory. No matter how many times she tried to get rid of the demon cat, it still somehow made its way back into her house. It was a presence that was beginning to keep her on edge. Maybe he was some sort of teleporting monster.

"Sounds like you've got it rough," Charanko began his mean with a simple itadakimasu, "Still no luck finding a job?"

"No. Nobody wants to hire an accident-prone fire hazard, and most of the host clubs don't want a burn victim scaring away their customers," she answered rather casually. Yes, Job hunting was a miserable experience, but she tried to keep a positive outlook. There was bound to be a job out there for her.

"Why don't you be a bodyguard or a hero?"

"Tch, be a bodyguard and protect some snooty asshole, no thanks. As for heroes, they're overrated. Most of them do it for publicity and fame. I don't want any part of that." That response felt automated after the fight she had with Garou a couple months back. Flashes of his angry face surfaced and for a moment she could hear him snap out in rage.

"_Be a hero?! Have you lost your mind?! Once I'm done with training, I'm gonna tear down the entire Heroes Association! I'll show'em the power of a real monster! That's what I'm going to be! And if you're there when I come after them-'_ the veins on his forehead were popping, the menacing aura that poured out for him that day was unlike anything she had ever dealt with.

"_What you're gonna beat me till I'm crippled? Don't yell at me, it was just a thought,"_ she glared at him through tears, _"Sorry, I wasn't aware of your grand plans! I just left our home, because you had to beat the shit outta everyone there and get yourself expelled!"_

"_Woman, no one told you to leave!"_

"_Ah-oh?! Really?! We made a promise to never leave each other behind! I guess I'm an idiot for running after you huh!"_

He gritted his teeth and did everything he could to swallow his anger. He rubbed the back of his head and let out a heavy sigh before taking her by the hand and pulling her into an embrace. He could tell that she was still confused by his seemingly rash behavior. Everything he was doing, he was doing it for them_, "When did you become a crybaby?" _his tone was lighter and more composed,_ "I guess I shoulda explained what's going on."_

That was three months ago and she's barely heard from him since, "I definitely should've gone to college. I have a lot of regrets chasing after dead end dreams."

"Yea, we all should have." He sighed, truly depressed by his lack of improvement, "I'm not getting any better at martial arts even though I'm sensei's only disciple and I still haven't been able to get a girlfriend!"

"Well that's because you kinda do suck at fighting."

"You're supposed to make me feel better not worse!"

"I'm just being honest, you almost pissed your pants when Garou challenged you."

The orange-haired man twitched at the memory; she was there that unfaithful morning? He didn't even recall. Maria sensing her friend's discomfort, let out a sigh, "I'm just messin' with you. You'll get better with practice. You should've seen me when I first started."

"…Yea right," he mumbled, "Weren't you and Garou the best?"

"Garou was the best," she corrected, "There were a few between us that were better than me, buuut I like to believe I was Sensei's favorite. Speaking of which, how is Sensei? I was thinking of stopping by the dojo this weekend."

"He's…okay. He's desperate for new students."

"Well…if I don't get a job soon, I might end up asking him to take me back."

"Why did you decide to leave? Garou didn't beat you up that day."

Maria stared at Charanko. She wasn't there when Garou snapped but…Did he…not know her relationship with Garou? She thought it was common knowledge that she and Garou had been inseparable. 'Huh, I guess he's more of a simpleton than I thought,' Maria thought.

"I don't know," she answered. She had her reasons, reasons that were beginning to make less and less sense, "Maybe I'm just an idiot. I I just never really thought of what I wanted to do with my life and I thought it would be a good time to try to figure it out."

"Really?"

Maria shrugged, "Yep, in the meantime I'll try not to become homeless."

Charanko's eyes suddenly brightened, "If you need money-" Quickly, he dropped his utensils and rummaged through his duffle bag. It took a second, but he was able to find and pull out the flyer he was searching for and handed it to Maria. She glanced down at the paper confused, and spoke with her fork still in her mouth, "What's this?" Her eyes scanned the words,

'MARTIAL ARTS TOURNAMENT

NOW IS YOUR CHANCE TO SHOW THE WORLD WHICH SCHOOL OF MARTIAL ARTS IS THE BEST!

1ST PLACE PRIZE 3 MILLION YEN'

"Ehh?! T-three million yen?!" Maria choked on the words. That could cover the rent for at least a year! She could even eat as many hamburger steaks as she wants! Three million yen. There was so much she could do, her brain automatically thinking of Garou and how she could possibly help him. He could probably use the money too. Before her mind could trail, reality slowly seeped in. Surely there were better martial art masters planning to sign up. Her winning suddenly sounded like a wild dream, "There's no way I could win this."

"You're one of Bang's best students. I think it's worth a shot! What do you have to lose?"

"Damn Charanko."

He blinked, "What?"

"You actually have a point. I'm surprised."

"I feel like you're trying to insult me."

* * *

She couldn't afford a gym membership with her financial limitations, so she made her way through the city as she did every day to get her steps in on her Fitbit. She would use weight bracelets on her arms and legs until the weight became a part of her. When she wasn't jogging through town, she observed the people in their shops, often making small chat with the owners. People fascinated her, and she often tried to read them. She was good at it, easily able to tell what type of person a stranger was. It hadn't taken long for the people in the small part of town to know who she was. Often greeting her as she passed by.

After that she made her way up to Bang Sensei's dojo, located on the side of a mountain. Now that she signed up for the tournament, there was a reason to brush up on her skills. The stairs to the top took about forty-five minutes for the average human. Maria could climb them in fifteen.

She could see her younger self heavily panting with the heavy weights strapped to her limbs. Bang had given both a time limit to complete the exercise.

"_Oi, Maria you're too slow!"_ Garou called out to her at least a dozen flights ahead of her with a boulder on his back.

"_Ugh! Wait for me Garou!"_ She yelled back and pushed herself to try to catch up with him. His back was always the most vivid part of him in her memory. Had she done everything in a mere attempt to chase after him? It was a thought she often found herself thinking.

"Maria what a surprise," Bang greeted her with a smile, "Have you decided to come back?"

Her sensei was an old man in his early eighties. There were wrinkles that decorated his rather narrow face and a thick white mustache that draped over his upper lip. His eyes were a warm grey and always welcoming. He stood at 5'5 his back had a slight hunch as one develops with a long life, yet Maria was sure that beneath the materials of his clothing his body was like solid rock. His eyes held surprise for her as she made her way in.

"Eh? What are you doing Sensei?"

"Just doing some renovating," He remarked. There were no holes in the wall and no need to renovate yet there were stacks of wooden planks lined up on one side of the dojo. His clothing was stained with the sticky residue as he attempted to coat the walls before applying the wooden planks one by one. She had no idea that the situation was this bad, "After that I was going to make some hotpot. You should join me."

'_Damn Garou, you left Sensei's dojo in shambles_,' Maria frowned a little and went to grab one of the brushes only to notice that there was no protection tape on the edges nor any newspapers/plastic on the floor. On the wall she could tell the rough streaks and uneven coat of white paint. He was absolutely horrible at this, "Sensei!" She ended up spending the entire evening helping him renovate the dojo.

"Have you heard from Garou?"

Maria looked up from her phone, guilty of checking her messages for the fourth time since they had finished a light spar. "Not really," she wished her answer was a lie. She got up and put her phone away, "I should get going it's really late." He paced along side her, "You know Maria you are always welcomed to move back."

"Thank you sensei but I think for now I need my own place. I'll come by tomorrow with the money-"

"I'm helping you out as favor. There's no need for formalities like paying to use the dojo. This place will always be a home to you."

Maria gave her sensei a smile, moved almost to tears by his kind words. It was ironic how she still had to go back and get sensei's help if she hoped to have a small sanctuary for whenever Garou decided to show up. She gave the sensei a bow and made her exit. It was an entertaining thought that he bid her farewell at 1 in the morning and had no concern for her safety. Monsters and thugs were rampant in Z-city. While, those shadows did frighten her growing up, the strength she possessed now gave her peace of mind.

'Oh before I forget,' Maria made her way toward the park. The city streets were deserted. The lights illuminated small spots along the way. She hoped a hero wouldn't be around to see her do what she was about to do. 'There's no shame in it, everyone's gotta do what they gotta do to survive,' Maria reasoned with herself. She was getting excited, she had a plastic bag in her backpack that she could use to put all the change in.

"Eh?" Maria blinked, stopping in her tracks as she locked eyes with a bald man already in the water fountain. There was an awkward silence that possessed the two, the summer breeze shaking the plastic bag in her hands and creating the crackling sound plastic does when moved. He stood there with a pair of shorts and an oppai sweater. There was just enough light illuminating from the streetlight that she could see his eyebrow twitch in horror. Beads of sweat began to form on his otherwise shiny forehead. Flustered he stepped back and accidentally tipped over the _bucket_ he'd brought for the midnight activity.

"Well…," she sat on the ledge and kicked off her shoes and pulled up her leggings before getting into the water, "hope the Gods don't curse us with bad fortune." It was a reassuring feeling knowing that she wasn't the only scum bag committing petty crimes like this.

* * *

**End Chapter**

**Author's Note:** I'm sorry I felt like this chapter was really slow! Trying to establish some character relationships and what not before diving into the fun stuff. A part of me think's I should've started with their childhood and worked my way up to the present, but oh well, can't go back now. Anyways! I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Lemme know if you liked it and wanna see more!


	3. Chapter 3: Strength Levels

**Chapter 3: Strength Levels**

Garou walked home by himself.

There was an uncomfortable and lonely silence that accompanied him. Maria was gone. Gone from school and gone from the neighborhood he passed everyday as he walked himself home. There had been another fire. One that was said was done on purpose the same day their bullies told her to disappear.

Her parents thought it was time to move away.

He hadn't been able to properly talk to her since the incident but she promised him she hadn't tried to hurt herself despite what the adults were saying. They exchanged emails, and Maria got a phone specifically so she could keep in touch with him. Her parents reassured him that they weren't moving too far away. Just a one city away, Z-City.

But that didn't make the boy's anger go away. He didn't even notice how tight his hands were balled up until he broke the skin with his nails. Why was he so weak? He couldn't even protect her. Tatsu always won. He had the entire class on his side. No one ever wanted to be nice to them because of it. Maria who only wanted to laugh and play; and he who just wanted a chance to be a hero.

But everything was already decided. He could never be a hero. Only the popular kids could.

Then maybe he should aim to be the strongest monster to tear them from their pedestals.

It was decided. He would run away from home.

* * *

Maria 'joined' the dojo at thirteen, a year after Garou.

Garou had only recently been elevated from morning chore duties of wiping the floors. He stood with the rest of the fellow disciples in formation and imitated the moves of the old master. Over the course of the year, the once sweet and almost shy boy had undergone a change. His eyes and language gave off a more jaded mind. Quick to snap at the older disciples and a little too quick at talking back to old Bang, the master who generously took him under his wing and gave him a home.

There was a look of utter determination on the child's face. The motivation that had led him to the dojo atop a mountain never wavered. It felt like finally, there was a force inside him to be reckoned with. All his time went into training.

While he initially kept in touch with his friend Maria. There texting had become less frequent as he began to priorities his ideals. She came up on weekends to see him, since the walk was too far from the district she lived in to make on weekdays. It was the only time he felt like he was showing off his cool techniques, kicking and punching and dreaming about how many heroes he would beat up when he became the best. They would exchange stories about their week at different schools, how disinteresting the kids in class were. When Maria shared that she found a new friend in her class, he felt an impending fear loom in his heart. He couldn't explain it away; he didn't know how to. He felt jealous that she was no longer his friend alone and he couldn't help but worry that Maria would lose interest in him. Afterall, he didn't make any new friends at school, hell the only reason he even went was because it was one of Bang Sensei's requirements if he wanted to stay at the dojo.

He found himself looking forward to her visits, waking up an hour earlier to get his chores and training done before she walked through the doors at 8am every morning. She would come bearing his favorite snacks like sweet bread, dangos, pokki, and homecooked lunches she and her mom (mostly her mom) prepared the night before. They would spend the entire day at the dojo; train, eat, do their homework together, and then do one last training session before she had to leave. Bang often told Garou to walk her home since she lived far and often stayed until it was dark. Truthfully, Garou knew Bang was only demanding it so Maria wouldn't notice just how badly Garou wanted to spend an extra hour and a half with her. Saturdays were definitely his favorite part of his week.

So when Maria didn't show up one Saturday morning, the young teen couldn't help but feel betrayed-cheated even. He sat outside for nearly two hours that morning, only running to his room briefly to get his phone to see if there were any calls or messages. Nothing. By the time the morning class started Garou was disheartened. The heavy feeling in his chest twisted into anger by the end of the day. He couldn't stop his mind from wondering. What kept her away? Why didn't she text him she wasn't coming? Had she decided to hang out with her new friend that day? Maria was finally letting go of their friendship in preference for another.

Sunday morning was the same. No word from Maria.

Most of the disciples had gone home for the day, the weather taking a turn for the worst. The only ones that remained in the spacious dojo were Garou, the master, and three others that were preparing a hot pot upon Bang's request. The white-haired boy was clad in his white uniform, his green belt tied around his waist. The motion of his body was adapting to the techniques like the movement of water. Despite being the young age of thirteen, his body was beginning to transform with the daily work outs he underwent.

The young boy stood in the center of the room and punched repeatedly in the air. He moved not quite elegantly as he did the motions, ending the series of moves with a high kick and a "Hayah"! His chest heaved, out of breath by his repetition. He trained vigorously in attempt to keep his mind off the anger.

"Come Garou, the hotpot is ready," his master called over from where he sat.

Just as he turned his back toward the entrance of the dojo, the door pushed open revealing a young girl completely drenched from the rain. Her eyes were bloodshot, like she had cried the entire way up the mountain. She took a few quivering steps forward, her entire body shaking from the cold.

It took a second for Garou to realize who it was, but when he did, his heart almost stopped, "Maria?!" Without a moment's hesitation, he ran to her, his hands grabbing at her arms. Their eyes connected, and the anger he had felt all weekend vanished in an instant, "What happened Maria? What's wrong?!"

There was something completely off like her mind wasn't all there. There in her eyes Garou saw true despair and it felt like he was looking into a mirror until the words finally came out of her mouth, "G-Garou-they're-they're….gone," she tried not to choke but whatever composure she had left fell apart and she collapsed under her own weight. He caught her in his arms and they both sank to their knees as she sobbed hysterically.

Her parents were killed in a monster accident Friday evening. They were part of collateral damage by a reckless self-proclaimed hero.

* * *

Maria sat on the floor with a bunch of papers spread across the table. Centered was her laptop and beside it were a couple of lit candles to the left. No there was no power outage, and she had managed to pay her electricity bill on time. The candles were there so she could let her hand run through the fire occasionally. Fire no longer burned her as it once did, somehow after an endless fixation of fire, her body seem to adapt and even absorb it. No, she couldn't shoot fireballs out of her hands like in the tv shows. The extent of her abilities was burning people through contact.

The white light of the laptop reflected in her eyes and on her facial features as she clicked through one website after another. She was in search of information of the possible opponents she would face at the tournament next week. She studied videos from last year's fights, read about the popular A-class heroes that joined. That prize of 3 million yen meant serious business. She knew her strengths and she knew her weaknesses and Maria was always good at utilizing other people's weaknesses.

Would she be strong enough to take on a A-class hero? Soon, she found herself down a rabbit hole on the net, and she was reading up on every sort of hero; from C to S-class. Lightening Max, Stinger, Blizzard, big and small. Videos on Metube of heroes caught in action only reminded her how 95% of these scummy people were in it for fame and money. Heroes were essentially celebrities. The more loved and popular you were, the easier you climbed your way up the ranks in the organization. The Hero Association was an organization that existed to fight against the monsters that terrorized their part of the world. It was founded nearly two and a half years ago, in a way encouraging those with superhuman abilities to join. They provided a livelihood. None of them were any good except the S-class heroes. Maria who had come to hate any disingenuous hero felt torn when Bang decided to become one, shaking her belief that all heroes were bad.

If people like Bang Sensei were heroes…Fuckface hopped onto the table and cut her train of thoughts. The orange flames were dancing in its green eyes in an almost mesmerizing trance before it bellowed out an ugly deep meow and went for her burnt sausages. It took a bite and spat out the blackened meat before hissing at it. Maria scoffed, "You're such a dumb cat."

She shifted slightly, taking a moment to adjust the ice packs on her sore legs. '_I wonder what Garou would think if he knew I ended up doing another intense training regime,_' she thought to herself. Her plan wasn't to do the same as Garou but the universe seemed to have wanted otherwise. She shook off the feeling that she was copying Garou and decided that there was only one way she would be able to tell if she could face off an A-class hero; she would have to be able to defeat a demon-level monster.

There was a fairly decent system for monster threats created by the otherwise corrupt Hero Association. The level system started with the lowest being wolf-level threats. These types of monsters may be a threat to people but at such a low rank that a well built human could take them on. The tiger comes second; this threat level endangered groups of people and can cause massive property damage if not contained. Demon level, the monster she needed to beat, threatens an entire city and its people. Usually A-class heroes can take them down. Any level higher, such as dragon and God-level threat require S-class heroes like Bang to take care of.

Her phone vibrated but she made no haste to grab it. It wasn't going to be a text message from Garou. It never was anymore. The last she had heard from him was nearly a month ago. Slowly, she was beginning to believe that maybe…he didn't care about her the way she did for him… Her jaw tightened. It was finally starting to get to her.

'_Bang Sensei wants to do hotpot, can you buy some ingredients on your way here?'_ the text was from Charanko. Literally her only friend beyond Garou and that was even sadder to Maria than anything else. She wished he had a female friend to confide in. With a heavy sigh she placed her hands over the candles to put out the tiny flames before letting herself fall flat on her back.

She felt so empty inside.

* * *

The day was the same as the day before it and the day before that. It all melted together to Maria. It was difficult to find things to do to keep her busy through the day. Her new training regime helped, being the sole thing that gave her any sense of motivation or hint of excitement. She tried to keep her eye out for any monsters.

She made her way through town. Today her tall figure was dressed in a pair of high-waisted tight ripped black skinny jeans, a yellow long sleeve crop top, and fingerless gloves on both hands. On her head she sported a big set of headphones, a sleek white model, perfect for drowning the world out. The music played loud enough to be heard by the people around her, earning her some concerned glances. She bought the groceries from a supermarket that was known for having good sales.

"Woah, I saved 3500 yen."

What an amazing feat. That was 500 more than last time! She did an air pump with her arm and did a spin. Suddenly, the ground beneath her feet shook, the kind that did not happen naturally. She slowly turned to find that a monster had surfaced by punching through the concrete of the street and sent cement and rocks flying in all directions.

"GUAH-GUAH-GUAH!" it laughed menacingly. Its voice was deep, " I CHEWED ON ROCKS SO MUCH I BECAME A ROCK!"

Maria blinked up unfazed by the monster. It was a ginormous humanoid, standing at least eight feet tall. It's muscle mass was enormous; it's skin encrusted with rocks and boulders of all shapes giving him an abnormal appearance. She was more confused than scared, while others ran for safety she reached for her headphones and pulled them down to her shoulders, "What?"

The monster, somehow caught off guard by her question found himself repeating himself, "I SAID- I CHEWED ON ROCKS SO MUCH I BECAME A ROCK!"

"Chewed? Didn't that break your teeth? As a human, how was it comfortable to grind your teeth on rocks?" she scoffed and tried to make conversation. Her weirdly calm reaction almost a defense mechanism as she tried to process the situation; in truth she was once fascinated by the human to monster transformation. There was a pattern with them. An obsession or traumatic event that triggers it. She tried not to think about it anymore, but ever since Garou left, it had been the one troubling thought that kept her up at night.

"WHY DOES IT MATTER? "

"Well, you made a big announcement over how you became a monster which means you were tryin' to instill an image in our heads, so I'm tryin' to visualize an unemployed overweight middle-aged man, eating rocks that he collected to eat in his apartment. Did you boil'em to make sure you killed the bacteria? And I need to know if you were bleedin' and eatin' the broken parts of your teeth while chewin' on the rocks or n-"

"ENOUGH! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" He clapped his hands together and began rubbing them vigorously, causing sparks to fly. Had any of her words gotten to him, if so which was it? Was he ridiculed for being overweight? Did he spiral into helplessness for being unemployed? She had already tried to buy some time until someone else could step in but like always, heroes were always late. She took in her surroundings, trying to see what she could use to her advantage. There was a fire hydrant not too far behind him, a couple parked cars.

Maria did a back flip to avoid a punch thrown in her direction. The monster's fist collided with the ground causing it to crumble. Quickly, she reached into her bag and pulled out a cylinder like item that could retract into a staff. With the smoke clearing the air the monster could spot her casually putting away her headphones and placing her bag to the side. "These were expensive, it'd suck if they broke," she muttered to herself.

This infuriated the monster, "DON'T BRUSH ME OFF LIKE I'M NOTHING! I'M A DEMON LEVEL MONSTER!"

Maria's ears twitched, "Did you say…demon level?" her head turned almost 360 degrees with a dangerously happy gleam in her eyes. Ho, ho looks like the universe was being generous today. She turned her body to face him, rolling her neck and cracking her knuckles.

"GUAH-GUAH! DO YOU REALIZE WHAT YOU'RE UP AGAINST? DON'T WORRY, I'LL MAKE SURE YOU DIE A SLOW AND PAINFUL DEATH FOR YOUR INSOLENCE," It attacked her with a series of punches, the building behind her sustaining enough damage to cause the walls to crumble. It wasn't that Maria wasn't scared of the monster. On the contrary, her heart was racing. The only reason why she chose to stay and face the monster was because she wanted to try out some of her new techniques she had learned through her recent training with Master Bang. If she could beat a Demon-Level threat, then maybe she could stand a chance against what was to come at the tournament.

"Well," she took a deep breath, "Here goes nothing!"

* * *

Maria had two broken ribs, and a mild concussion.

"What happened to you?" Charanko was the first to greet Maria as she walked caked in mud, dust, and a mixture of her own blood. Her white headphones were a sharp contrast in her tattered appearance. Without a word she dropped the grocery bag in his hands and took off her headphones. "I beat a demon level monster," Her eyes were suddenly glistening, "I beat the shit outta a demon-level monster and didn't die."

"Y-you fought a monster?! Demon Level?!" Man oh man, what the hell was he doing with his life when his only female friend could crush monsters while he still moped the floor of the dojo?! Then again, to Charanko, Maria was just a man in a woman's body. Yea, that made him feel better. The boy internally cried at his pathetic-ness.

"A demon level monster was able to beat you up that badly?" it was Master Bang. His words instantly made the blood rush to her cheeks, "How are you going to represent my martial arts if you can barely beat a low-level monster?"

"It's only a small cut on my head from when I let my guard do-" she cut herself off as her master's words sunk in, that was his main concern? "Were you only helpin' me because you want me to show off your Water Rock Smash martial arts so you can get new students?"

The old man's eyes widened. He was caught red handed, "Of course not I-"

"You do realize I registered under my own martial arts, right Sensei?" She lied right through her teeth just to jab at him. While she had been adding her own style to his martial arts it was still a far cry from an original form. The grey-eyed young woman watched the old man go utterly speechless by her words and she laughed at his expression, "I'm kidd-ing, I had you there for a second!"

Bang shook his head in response, not quite as amused as the girl, "You youngsters are such a handful. Charanko get the first aid kit."

* * *

The day of the tournament finally came. Maria couldn't think back to a time where she was more nervous than she was now. Beneath that layer of anxiety was a little part of her that was excited for what was in store for her. Her win against the monster the week before boosted he confidence. First place seemed more and more like a real chance. As she walked through the admission area of the arena, she checked in as a participant. "Oh, am I allowed to wear my wrist and ankle weights in the tournament?" she asked the lady on the other side of the glass. She had her duffel bag slung over her shoulder. The black-haired woman had become accustomed to taking care of her appearance, realizing at a young age that looks mattered. When she hid her arm, Maria was rather confident in appearance, taking after her mother. Her long wavy hair was down and she even had more makeup on than usual. Her soft features often feigned naivety. It was the best quality about her. Marie learned that she had to be smart to survive. Using her appearance and her femininity was just a part of it. She was dressed in a cute black skater dress with a box cut around the collar, and sheer black sleeves, her right arm beneath it still hid beneath a layer of bandages. All the bruises on her arms and legs she still had from her fight and training were covered with concealer. The woman gave her a skeptical look before turning over to one of her coworkers to verify what was protocol.

"Um...it should be fine. Just no weapons allowed."

As she made her way down the hallway to the locker rooms, a man stepped out of what she presumed to be one of the men's locker room. She raised her brow at the wolf head gear. A-class hero Wolfman was here? She recognized him from her extensive research but there was something...off. The muscle mass in his pictures didn't...add up? Did the Hero Association photoshop their heroes pictures? She wouldn't be surprised, everything was photoshopped these days. Still, there was a weird familiarity to him. The hero stopped in his tracks as she approached, did he think she was a lost audience member? There was a strange tension in the atmosphere that she couldn't explain as her shoulder bumped against his. He stood about two inches taller than her, 5'9 maybe 5'10- almost the same height as Garou.

"Excuse you," she remarked without looking over her shoulder. and continued toward the women's locker room. Completely unaware of who really was under the mask.

* * *

**End chapter**

**Author's Note:** Do you guys know what's about to go down next chapter?! Haha. Man, I hope you guys enjoyed following Maria around this chapter. She'll be interacting with more of the canon OPM in the next chapters (finally!). I'm thinking of introducing a second love interest and I'm leaning toward either Saitama or Metal Bat. What do you guys think? Would that be something you'd want to see?


	4. Chapter 4: We Make and Break Connections

**Chapter 4: We Make and Break Connections**

Garou's attitude got worse over the years. As he grew older, his strength increased at alarming rates and so did his temperament. The quiet boy that once depended on a girl to stand up for him had now grown into a frightening presence. The title of the strongest pupil had become his and he was eager to fight anyone that challenged him. He was undefeatable, except when it came to fighting master Bang. The one man who could always put him in his place.

"DAMN IT OLD MAN!" Garou fumed the day Bang was announced an official S-class hero at the newly formed Heroes Association. His outbreak disrupting the class Bang was giving. There was a hatred in his heart that was born out of sheer spite for anyone who called himself a hero. It was sickening to the young man to know that he was training under a self-righteous man. It served as a reminder that it was only the successful that could make it as a hero. He lied to himself when he felt the sense of betrayal overwhelm him, "YER EMBARRASSIN' TO LOOK AT!" Garou made a move in blind rage but was quickly punched out of existence in a mere matter of seconds. His body was embedded into the concrete wall in the garden outside the dojo while Master Bang stood on the opposite side of the garden, smoke fizzing off his first.

"That is no way to talk to your Sensei," he lectured and reverted to his old man posture with his hands behind his back, "To serve and protect people with your strength should be an honor. You should know better Garou."

The white-haired teen slumped to the ground completely immobile, "Tch. Screw that bullshit," he muttered.

* * *

"He really beat you up," Maria remarked absentmindedly, not taking her eyes off her journal. They sat in the gardens by the manmade pond. The sun had nearly set beneath the horizon leaving just enough light to set a purple tint in the sky. Garou rolled his neck in discomfort and rubbed his sore neck muscles, "He didn't beat me up," he snapped clearly annoyed.

"Sorry," Maria corrected and closed her journal abruptly, "He knocked you out in one hit."

That made it worse. Garou glared at her menacingly, "Do you want me to beat you up?"

She let out a light scoff, "It depends are you going to hold back like you always do?"

"Yer so annoy," he complained as he hopped onto his feet, "I'm pissed off and all you care about is yerself," He rubbed the back of his head, "I'm not in the mood."

"Come on I know you can let out some steam, use me as a punching back."

To an outsider, Garou knew that sounded abnormal and even masochistic of Maria to even suggest, but he knew what she was trying to do. Selfish, clever Maria. She was trying to take advantage of his anger because he never gave her a proper fight.

"You should be just as upset as I am over the old man's decision."

Maria shrugged, "I'm not happy about it but Sensei's a good man. Maybe he'll be an exception."

His eyes shadowed over at her words, this time unsure if she was purposely trying to push his buttons. He knew she genuinely loved the Old man-much to his distaste. His muscles tensed and he gave her a dangerous look, "Fine. Fight me." The girl let out a cheer and hopped to her feet a little to excitedly. Often times he found her enthusiasm for getting her ass handed to her amusing, today he simply found it aggravating.

He let Maria come at him at full speed. Her balled fists tried to land a single blow on his body. Unfortunately for her, Garou was faster, much faster than she was. With ease he moved his body, dodging each blow without even touching her. He leaned back when she used her long legs to kick, ducked when she tried to trick him with a feigned attack from the left when it came from the right. She kept advancing at him but he was still two steps ahead of her. As the minutes ticked by, Garou found himself getting really into it.

He gave her a cocky smirk when she took a step back and began rolling her neck and shoulders, "Warmed up yet?"

"Yea, yea, lets get this started," she responded and hopped from side to side as she got herself pumped.

He got into stance and lifted his arms almost in a serpent like motion. They did a back and forth, their movements nearly invisible to the normal human. Minutes past and while they'd both exerted plenty of energy Maria was already panting. Despite his annoyance, he couldn't help but admire her constant need to challenge him.

"Alright, loser's buyin' dinner!" he decided to add; to him it was a fair trade for making him spar with her while he was feeling crummy.

"Again? Yeesh you're so predictable," She complained earning her a response from the white-haired teen, "Well when yer stronger than yer opponent you don't need to be unpredictable."

"Ha-ha. Very funny," Maria went in for an attack, her moves this time faster than they were a minute ago. Their spar went on for about ten minutes. Garou often took on the role of offense while Maria went in for as many attacks in attempt to find an opening. He'd throw his punches but never transferring any force.

"Stop-" Maria came at him from the side and landed a hard kick before following his body movement and used Master Bang's technique to hit his stomach with a series of punches, "holding back!"

"Tchu, what was that? I didn't feel a thing!" he taunted her when she landed a couple hits to his rock-hard abdomen. In truth he did feel the pack of the punch but Garou never passed up the chance to taunt her. It was the only way that pushed Maria to get stronger, after all, he didn't want her to fall too far behind him. Her demand always made him smirk even when he was in the worst of moods. She always demanded he attack her at full strength. What else would he expect from Maria? She was the only one in the god damn place that ever wanted to challenge him.

All it took was a second; he had cut through the distance between them and swiped a kick at her feet knocking her flat on her back. "Are you sure you don't want me to hold back?" his body had undergone a transformation over the years. Despite being only seventeen, the teen's muscles were well defined beneath his shirt.

She kicked up abruptly, twisting her body and throwing her leg in the direction of his head, he quickly leaned in the opposite direction. He reacted by hitting her side and sent her tumbling to the ground. His shadow towered over her as she hosted herself on her elbows, "Damn it Garou how are you so much better than me? Best two out of three!"

"Cuz, I ain't wastin' my time with my nose in a book!" he took her hand and helped her to her feet.

"Well at least you're admittin' I'm smarter than you," she straightened out her gi. Garou's brow twitched upward at her little comment. She may be the weaker one of the duo but she had a knack for jabbing at him in other ways. He let out a scoff under his breath amused as she used her tactics against him, "If you want to beat me, maybe you shouldn't be skippin' out on weight training every morning."

Maria's cheeks turned slightly red and she threw her arms behind her head, "If I gain any more muscle Imma look like you."

He actually laughed at that, "You wish. What's your bench press again?"

"Higher than yours!" she defended with blatant lies. He cocked her a smirk and even a chuckle. This was their normal, "Now fight me again. Best two out of three!"

He beat her three times over.

"I win-again. Aight, I'm hungry. Let's go eat. I have a massive appetite for some steak," He watched his friend rub her aching arms. There was a pout on her lips and the sight of disappointment on her features tugged at his heart.

"…fine but since I'm paying, I pick the place."

"Oi, that's not how losing works!"

"I- don't-care. You're going to order the entire menu again, aren't you? I'm taking you to ramen."

"You think that'll stop me from over ordering? I'll order at least six bowls."

"Baakaa!" she punched his arm as they headed toward the exit, "Order more than two and you'll have to dine and dash cuz I'm leavin' after the second."

"You're so stingy, this is how you treat your best friend?" He threw his arm around her shoulders and held her in a playful headlock, "The winner decides all! Don't go changing the rules for being a sore loser!"

She let him say whatever he wanted, her only care was that she was happy that she was able to lift Garou's spirit just a bit.

* * *

Maria took in a deep breath. The sound of the audience was booming outside. The excitement for the fights had filled the atmosphere of the stadium as the announcer broke the anticipation. There wasn't much time until the preliminary fights would be revealed. They were told to wait until they heard their name to step out into the stadium. Each name earned a different reaction from the crowd. The heroes that took part received the loudest roar from the audience.

"Coming from the famous Bang's Dojo with the flowing water, crushing rock martial art's style- Silverfang's number 1 pupil Maria!"

_'Well damn, that's some introduction,'_ Maria thought to herself. What a joke to hear her name in that sentence. 'Number one pupil' was a title she did not deserve. Not when she couldn't even beat Garou. She felt her heart pounding in her chest. This was it. Could she really do it? She had no choice._ 'Eye on the prize, eye on the prize, eye on the prize,'_ she repeated to herself. She had no idea what she would do without that 3 million yen. The passed two months had been spent on an intense training regime with Master Bang. Her savings had dwindled down to nothing. If she didn't win this she'd lose her home.

She had no choice but to win.

There was a relatively positive reaction from the crowd as she stepped onto the platform with the other participants. Nothing compared to the well-known names but S-class hero Silverfang was known throughout all the Cities on the continent and just by association people were eager to see his fighting style performed by his 'star pupil'. She felt some of the participants staring in her direction. She equally stared back, wondering how much steroids some of these men were on. There were a couple normies, and even another girl in the lineup. Ring-Ring was it? She didn't care too much. She wasn't here to make friends (despite her nearly crippling loneliness). 'Eye on the prize' she told herself. Her gaze went down the line until they landed on Wolfman. While she couldn't see his face, she could feel him staring in her direction.

_'What a creep,'_ she thought to herself, were all heroes this weird?

Her eyes went back up to the large screen that was about to reveal who they were all up against. There were twenty contestants this year. The preliminary fights would happen one after another.

"And the match ups arreee—" The screen flashed and the names on the pyramid chart appeared.

Maria's eyes widened. She would be the first to fight. Her opponent was a big macho man that went by the name Steelhead, his technique was art of the Iron First. He was one of those big men who probably took three shots of steroid a week. His size was massive, at least 7'0 feet tall; every single one of his muscles swelled like a melon.

They stood across each other on the platform the referee was between them ready to initiate the fight, "Ready, set, GO!"

The colossal man stared down at her with his beady eyes. He looked insulted that his first match as with a girl, "I'll make this quick." He had a thick accent like he wasn't from around here. His arms both went up into the air almost the way a gorilla through a tantrum and smashed his large fists into the ground. Maria dodged out of the way as the platform beneath the impact cracked.

She took offense, her grey eyes narrowed as she tried to read her massive opponent. She circled him a little, noticing quickly that his unnaturally swollen neck muscles made it hard for him to move his head left and right; so he had blind spots. He wasn't quick either. 'Okay, I can do this. Just avoid a hit in the ribs and you'll be fine.' Maria pep talked herself as she finally took on the signature stance of Bang's technique. Her injuries from the Demon level monster had not healed but she wouldn't let that stop her from that sweet prize money.

'Do it for the 3 million yen.'

She moved so fast that the muscle man lost sight of her for a second. His tiny eyes widened as he looked around in surprise when all of a sudden Maria came down at him from above and kicked down with all her strength; the back of her heel making impact with the top of his head. He went smashing into the ground, the force embedding his face into the concrete.

He was completely knocked out.

'…_..What?'_ Maria stared at the man's body with her brow furrowed together. The referee held her hand up as the victor but she couldn't process what was going on. "The fight's over?" How? They had just started a minute ago. The audience was in awe just as much as she was. No body thought she would win, much less win within the first two minutes.

"Ma'am, please step down so we can get the next match under-"

"Man, what a weak ass," she cut him off, "I mean damn. All that muscle and he ain't durable for shit."

She hopped off the platform, the other attendees stared right at her in utter shock, "Yea, yea, I didn't think he'd be that easy to beat."

Wolfman scoffed and her eyes went straight to the weird hero. So he had a sense of humor?

Maria watched every single match after hers. They lasted about as long as her match, the match ups were meant to weed out the weak and she couldn't help but feel like her match up was originally meant to knock her out of the tournament. "Reverse Seeding" was what one of the contestants told her it was called. This was the perfect chance to obtain some information on the others so she could know what to expect from some of the unfamiliar faces. The fourth match of the preliminaries was Wolfman vs Bolt which ended faster than her own match.

The second round of matches would be where the real fights began. After a ten minute intermission, the announcers were back on the air narrating the next matches. "Maria of the Flowing Water, Crushing Rock Martial Arts VS. Titan of the Volcano Explosion Martial Arts! Who will win?!" Maria found herself climbing the stairs back onto the platform to face her next opponent. She wondered why there were so many strangely named martial arts. She stood across a man who was more natural in nature. He had shaggy black hair and a build that didn't transcend a human being. He dressed in a gi but with its sleeves ripped off revealing the heavy tattoo designs on his arms.

"Nice sleeves," she complimented. His black eyes fell to the weight bracelets on her ankles and the ones peeking out from under her black gi, "I suggest you remove those before you put yourself at a disadvantage."

Maria smirked. Bingo. Oh how she loved it when she found something she could use to get under someone's skin, "I have these on so you won't be at a disadvantage."

"BEGIN!"

"Don't let that first match get to your head. Beating a weakling is completely different than the real deal," his voice was calm but his eyes were suddenly on fire. He crossed his arms and then thrusted them to the side. He abruptly let out a loud yell as if pumping himself up. He came at her with a series of punches.

This time Maria didn't waste time with offense. She'd paid close attention to his first fight. Instead she blocked and dodged his punches, taking steps back as he kept advancing. He was quick and his punches packed heavy hits. Her arms felt sore as they made impact against her arms and she had to act fast before he could end up breaking them.

This wouldn't do. She fell back and dodged his attacks completely and jolted to the side. He followed after her, each missed punch hitting the ground with a fizzle of smoke. This was the challenge she had missed out on in the first match. She feigned the disadvantage, dodging one attack after the other, even letting out little yelps and allowed him to get in a punch in the face. Five minutes passed and she was panting heavily.

"Give up. You're clearly outmatched," Titan stated. Was this enough? Did he really believe that she was cornered?

"You're such a jerk, hitting a girl in the face like that," she made a move. Suddenly she was right in his face, her palms out in the water flow rock crush formation. Her movements were like flowing water and she nailed every one of his pressure points. He skidded back a couple feet in utter surprise. She walked a few steps toward the stunned man who's arms should feel heavy. Her face shadowed over and she jumped back into action. He managed to block her series of attacks, their roles suddenly reversed. She was almost there, pushing him toward the edge when suddenly he came at her with a side kick and nailed her in the broken rib.

She held her ground but let out a strangled scream. The adrenaline kicked in and her punch that made contact with his face sent him tumbling off the edge of the platform.

"Fuck."

* * *

Maria laid back in the chair of the sitting area near the locker rooms. She had used every bit of her will power not to hold her side and limp off the platform after her fight with Titan. If the others saw that it was her weak spot then it would be game over for her. Her phone, which she'd taken out of her locker, vibrated, 'C_ongrats on your win Maria! Bang-sensei and I are rooting for you!_' It was Charanko. She smiled ever so slightly as she stared at the screen of her phone. There were people outside of Garou that cared about her.

"Next up Wolfman vs Nuclear Bang Bang! Two heroes in Martial Arts! Who will win?!"

Maria looked up at the television that was in the room. That's right, the next fight. Wolfman's previous fight had ended so quickly that she couldn't get any information from the fight, not even his fighting style. She watched intently.

Wolfman made the first move, cutting the distance between Nuclear within a mere second. There was an exchange of punches and kicks thrown, neither of them trying to fall back. Wolfman slips up causing an opening that ultimately gets him sent tumbling to the concrete. He breaks the fall and finds himself kicking upward at the other hero before returning to form.

Maria's eyes widened. Why did his moves resemble….

As the fight continued, it began to dawn on Maria who it really was.

"No way." It couldn't be. But it made sense. All of Wolfman's videos she'd watched were vastly different than what she was seeing here. Then it happened, she saw Master Bang's technique; Palm of crushing rock to knock Nuclear Bang Bang out of the arena.

Wolfman was Garou.

And he just won his match, which meant she would be facing him next in the semi-finals.

Once the shock had subdued, an overwhelming feeling of anger overcame the black-haired woman. She remained stationary for a while, her hands balled up. What was he doing here? Why didn't he approach her? Better yet, why didn't he tell her? How many times had she texted him throughout the past few months only to get short replies and being left at seen? When was the last phone call they even had?

She had to be sure. Five minutes passed before she slipped out into the hallway and toward the men's locker room where she saw him slip to after his first match. She was careful not to let any of her intent be felt. It was only when she was by the entrance did she realize how fast her heart was beating in anticipation. Maria hit the dial button on her phone and she could hear the faint jingle of a phone ringing go off from the locker room. It rang three times before the call was declined.

The betrayal she felt was unlike any feeling she had felt before. It was a different kind of pain than losing her parents. The pain in her side felt nonexistent in comparison. It finally hit her.

She was a fool for waiting for Garou.

* * *

**End chapter**

**Author's Note:** I'm sorry it took a while to update! I have so much on my plate right now! Anyways I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I'm so sorry it's taking so long for present day Maria and Garou to interact but I have a thing for character build up. Anyways I'll try to get the next chapter out soon! Lemme know if it was a good chapter!


	5. Chapter 5: Zero to a Hundred

**Chapter 5: Zero to a Hundred**

School had always been one of those things that Garou hated. There was no reason to take part in such a system that picked and chose who would be deemed successful in society. If it weren't for Bang's requirements, he would've dropped out years ago, but here he was in his senior year of school. Even as he grew older, it was the same, the popular kids were the ones that got the attention of teachers, they were the ones offered opportunities. Problem students such as himself could hardly got praised. Despite Maria's nagging, Garou did plan to drop out.

Since high school started there was something different about Maria that Garou could not really explain. He noticed that physically she had grown to resemble her mother; tall slim framed with a distinct softness to her features. She looked prettier than the average girl. The way her wide set eyes came to life when she was with him-only him. Her once short hair now reached her midback and gave her a sense of femininity that was once lacking in her appearance. She no longer gave off boyish vibes at first glance. Maria grew more and more aware of her sex, finding herself more self-conscious as she went through the notions of school. He couldn't comprehend it. While Garou easily intimidated those around him, Maria did a better job at weirding out her classmates. He noticed that people wanted to approach her but as soon as they realized her obsession over monsters and hypothetical theories of human to monster conversion, they thought she was better left alone.

"Garou!" the built teen stood by the stairs, where he waited for her every day during lunch. He was dressed in the school uniform-with minor touch ups to make it bearable. The button up shirt remained open to reveal the black sleeveless shirt he wore beneath it. People often gave them weird looks. The frightening Garou with the weirdo Maria. It was his favorite part about school. They stood out together.

That is until one day Maria brought a friend with her. A girl that went by the name Naomi. She was a short average girl. He saw her hang out a couple times with some of the delinquent trash. The two girls seemingly hit off well but Garou could not get comfortable around the third party. He didn't like having her around. Especially when he felt like she was trying to drive Maria away from him.

"Whatcha reading?" He leaned over Maria's shoulder as they sat on the rooftop during their break, genuinely interested in what seemed to have captivated her attention away from him.

"Theory of Monster Conversion."

Garou's eyes almost twinkled and he yanked the book out of her hands, "Anything useful?"

"Eh! What the hell Garou!" she threw herself at him trying to reach for the book he held out of reach, taunting her until he let her grab the book back. After she finished lecturing him, she ran a hand through her long hair and explained to him why she was so fixated on the monster theories, "Fire doesn't burn me anymore."

He squinted at her and made a face, "What? How's that possible?"

"I don't know-well I kind of know. I told you before when I see fire, I get this weird fixation? I can't resist it."

"And so?"

"I've been playing with fire recently and the other day-" she stopped herself, "Why am I trying to explain this?" she shoved her hand in her jacket pocket and pulled out a lighter, "Look." It took a hot minute, Garou struggling to stop her from lighting herself on fire. It took Maria's hand in his face and a struggle between the two before she was able light the lighter and put the flame to her skin.

"See?" there wasn't even a mark on her skin. Garou grabbed her arm and yanked her closer to examine the skin. The girl blushed as she felt her body against his.

"Am I interrupting something?" It was Naomi. Garou gave her an annoyed glance and let Maria's arm go, how many times is this girl planning to join them for lunch? "Is this going to be a thing now?"

"Garou," Maria elbowed him, "Be nice."

"I am being nice! What do you want? We're busy!"

"Actually, I'm here becauussee Maria has a secret admirer!" Naomi plopped down in front of them. The girl already used to Garou's rude remarks. Both Garou and Maria reacted in unison, "What?"

"No way, who?" Maria asked curiously, "Naomi if you're lying that's not funny." Garou frowned, his facial features darkening. Why did she sound so curious? A part of him felt suddenly threatened by this 'admirer'. It was then he realized that he wasn't the only one who found Maria a pretty girl. It had never occurred to the teen that she could ever be swept off her feet by anyone until he sat there almost dumbfounded by how interested she was by this mystery boy. Man did he hate Naomi and even more so this stupid, pointless high school drama. He couldn't wait to drop out. He looked at Maria and how her face was red with embarrassment. Well, _maybe_ he could wait to drop out once he knew Maria wouldn't go chasing after boys that won't understand how amazing she was.

* * *

There were things that upset Maria like missing a good sale at the grocery store, misplacing her keys, slow walkers, and so forth. Then there were things that pissed her off like knowing Garou impersonated a hero and ghosted her. Her blood was boiling. She was livid. It was the first time in her life she felt crazy with rage, her mind fogged with blind anger. It was the accumulation of months on end waiting for a man that was not planning on coming back.

And Maria was furious.

Was he planning to fight her without saying it was him? How could she even tell him that she really needed the money, that she had to win this or she would end up back at the dojo? There was no choice but to win against him. Once more Maria made her way up the platform while the announcer narrated the soon to start battle.

She had heard from the other participants that had fought the 'Wolfman' hero that he had a bloodlust unlike anything they had felt. His presence oozed danger. Yet, as she approached him Maria's presence took on its own dark form. She felt the anger rushing in her blood, her left arm aching beneath the bandages. There he was, Garou, a few feet away from her. After all this time apart, this would be their first encounter.

Her grey eyes glared directly into the mask, did he know she knew?

"Oi, Wolfman," she almost snarled at him, almost mimicking Garou's rude mannerisms when he was heated up, "You heroes are good for nothin.' Let me put you in your place."

He reacted by getting into a fighting stance which somehow fed the fire in Maria. She mirrored him, waiting, waiting for the referee to wave down his hand. If he was going to face her in a match, then she would give him a run for his money.

"BEGI-"

She didn't even wait for the announcer to finish, she jumped into action. Her entire body felt pumped. The pain in her side was completely numb as she moved. She gave him no chance to react, in a split second she was in his face with a series of kicks. He blocked them and grabbed her calve, however, Maria used that as a chance to drop herself on the ground and used the strength in her arms to push herself toward him with her legs directed right at him like a spear; the heel of her foot made contact with the side of his cheek.

'Wolfman' stumbled back, his hand going to the wolf mask to make sure it was secure on his head. Again, he took on a fighting stance but didn't attack. _'Oh, so he still had his old habits?'_ Maria advanced, feigning a punch but slid to the side at the last second and aimed a kick at his side. He blocked it with his arm, but the impact sent him skidding across the platform.

She followed him as he skidded, barely giving him a chance to defend. Punch after punch, kick after kick, the minutes were stacking on, her anger spending her energy at a reckless pace. Why was he holding back if he didn't think she knew who he was? Why would he care if she got hurt or not if he wasn't planning to come back to her?

There. An opening. Maria grabbed both his arms with a tight grip. The heat that had built up in her hands were activated and burned through the material of his shirt. For split second their faces were close. Was he shocked by how much she had grown? Her knee nailed him under his chin and knocked him into the air. She followed, her jump sending her higher than him and gave her just enough leverage to kick him down into the hard concrete.

He laid between the rubble of the impact. The crowd had gone wild in reaction, amazed by the unexpected spectacle. The announcer was yelling into his microphone, about ready to call the match Maria's win when suddenly, Wolfman jumped out of the rubble and came at her at full speed. Maria, who hadn't expected Garou to make a move at her, reacted a second too late.

He punched her right in the abdomen and sent her flying back toward the edge of the arena. Her body made contact with the ground, the impact caused her to tumble until she skidded and broke the fall with her knee and hand. She gasped for a breath of air. He did it. He punched her. She would have cheered had they been sparring at Master Bang's dojo. The shock of the blow had her distracted just long enough for Garou to get behind her and right as Maria thought he was about to land more hits on her, he grab her by the arms.

"W-what?" Garou held her arms tightly against her body and picked her up with such ease that Maria's anger was briefly replaced by complete flabbergast. Never in her life had he simply picked her up in the middle of a fight, like she was a sack of potatoes, "E-eh! put me down!" She struggled but his grip was too strong. No, no, no! She panicked as he literally carried her toward the edge of the arena. He was going to fucking drop her off the platform!

"S-stop it damn it! N-no-no-no! Don't-" Her squirming got more desperate, suddenly overwhelmed by the fear of what was to come next.

"N-no Garou! I need this! I need the money damn it!" She cried out in frustration. Upon hearing her pleas, he froze. Maria wasn't sure which caused him to stop in his tracks, his name, or the fact that she was desperate for money, but she kept going, "I Know it's you! Don't do this Garou! Please."

His grip loosened slightly, and Maria didn't waste any more time. She used what strength she had left to break free by slamming the back of her head against his face. Garou tried to grab at her again his fingers grabbing at her obi belt and yanking it with enough force causing it to rip. His eyes beneath the mask followed after her.

"What's this?!" the announcer gasped as Maria stood with her black gi open revealing her slim built figure and the countless bandages around her torso. Her old injuries were already bleeding from the immense pressure her body had under taken, coloring the material red, "Unexpected turn of events have revealed Maria's battered state! How in the world is she even standing?!" Her chest was heaving up and down as she panted. She glared at Garou and yanked off the top part of her gi. How was it possible that even with all her training, all her attacks, he was still standing?

Why was he still so much stronger than her?

Her arms and legs felt heavy. Her side was hurting again. The sound of the crowds of people watching them and the yelling of the announcer was making her head spin, "I'm not letting you win this time." One by one she took off her weight training bracelets and let them drop to the floor. The removal of them was almost freeing. 50 pounds freeing.

She bolted, leaving behind a crater in her place. Her arm was retracted ready to deal a punch that would send him flying whether he blocked it or not. It all happened in slow motion. The noise around her was drowned out by the sound of her blood rushing, spinning in her head. He stepped to the side at the last second. Maria not completely adjusted to her knew speed, tried to stop but the amount of force she had used caused her to skid and harshly tumbling against the concrete. She flew off the platform and dug into the grass and did not stop until she hit the wall of the stadium.

* * *

"Raise your head Maria."

Bang and Charanko met up with her outside the stadium, despite the rules that said she had to stay even after she lost, Maria chose to leave. The sound of the audience and commentators could be heard from outside the stadium. The young woman hesitated, but slowly raised her head from the apologetic bow she gave her sensei. Maria was sure that she had disappointed her master by failing to win after he had trained her to succeed. A part of her wanted Bang to be proud of her for making it to first place. She knew how badly he wanted new students. Her pained eyes glistened with tears, "There's no reason to apologize for losing."

Bang knew who it was under the mask but did not say anything in the presence of Charanko. If it truly had been Garou, he knew that Maria was outclassed. That boy had been his top student for a reason, he was a martial arts prodigy, "There is no shame in losing my dear, it only shows room for growth." It was enough that the young woman had to deal with such an intense battle with a person she had loved so dearly. A part of him was saddened to realize that the young couple had grown apart.

"Don't beat yourself up Maria, everyone thought you were amazing," Charanko tried to add.

Maria let out a heavy sigh in response, there was an overwhelming feeling of defeat that took over after her anger waned, "I didn't get the prize money."

"You know you're always welcomed to come live at the dojo again," Bang reassured her and patted her shoulder, "Come, there's this really good ramen place around here. My treat." As the two followed the old man, Maria felt her phone vibrate.

'_You okay?' _

It was Garou.

* * *

It was poetic irony. Maria would have never imagined that Garou would be the one to stand in her way of getting the money she needed to have rent for the apartment she wanted to call a home for the both of them. She started feeling crazy for even having that hope. She racked her brain in attempt to surface up memories of her and Garou talking about it. He agreed to it had he not? Was she making it all up without realizing it? Maria stared at the number in her bank account. 14,464 yen was left. Her parent's savings had been dashed in half a year because she idiotically thought having an apartment was a necessity. There wasn't enough to even pay the water bill. What was she going to do now? Go back to looting water fountains? She had been so confident that she could win that she didn't even have a backup plan.

Her involuntary action was to check her messages again and stare at the text she had received from Garou earlier that day. '_You okay?'_ There wasn't anything she could describe how she felt about it. For the first time in her life, Maria had no words to share with Garou. She had left it at seen.

Maria leaned back against the couch behind her, again seated on the floor in front of the coffee table.

"_Promise me you won't ever do anythin' like that again,"_ Garou held her roughly by her jaw, forcing her to look at him through tears in her eyes. He had a sternness in his amber eyes, his brows furrowed down in complete anger by her actions. She remembered him walking in on her in one of her crazy experiments. She had filled a bathtub with ice and water. To anyone outside of Maria it looked like a suicide attempt. She tried to explain away to him how _another_ near-death experience could make her stronger, that something was happening to her left arm. It sounded like she was trying to convince herself it was nothing more than a poorly thought out experiment but a part of her deep down, had thought she wasn't going to make it beyond that night.

"_Garou I- it wasn't what yo-"_

"_I DON'T CARE! You could've fuckin' died! How many times do you expect me to come save you?!_ _Promise me you won't do anything idiotic like that again, damn it! "_

"…_I-I promise,"_ she choked out. Tears streamed down her face. She clung to the towel he had wrapped around her as he held her in a tight embrace.

"_For someone I thought was smart, yer an idiot sometimes."_

The meowing of her ugly cat drew Maria's attention back to reality. She blinked away the tears in her eyes. At what point did she start crying? "What is it?" For the first time the scruffy cat climbed onto the young woman's lap and curled up against her as if to comfort her with its presence, "Am I really that pathetic that even you have to comfort me?" she asked the orange cat.

She had to admit; it did keep the loneliness as bay. There, she remained unmoved until she began to dose off, only to have it disrupted by a knocking coming from the door. At first, she thought it was her imagination, but again there was a knocking sound from the door, this time causing the cat to hop off her lap. The time on her phone was 11:39 pm. W-who on Earth…?

She struggled to get on her feet, every part of her was aching, "Ugh, I swear to god if it's Charanko," she muttered in annoyance. He would definitely pull a stunt like that. The knocking happened a third time, "Oii! I'm coming," As she slipped her arm in the sleeve of her cardigan she finally managed to get to the door.

"What Ch-,"

It wasn't her friend Charanko at the door, nor was it Bang checking up on her. The person who stood there in the frame of her door was none other than Garou. The white-haired young man stood there with a placed hand behind his neck, like he didn't know if he should actually be there.

"Hey."

* * *

**-Chapter End-**

**Author's note:** Hey everyone! Finaalllyyyyyyy reunited, what will happen next? Tune in next week as they _bang_ out their problems. Not much else to say here except I hope I did the canon characters justice! Sorry if I didn't, it's so hard sometimes. I hope the flashbacks aren't cringe. There's so much back story I thought up of but its hard to cram them all in flashbacks I might end up making a little spin off series of their childhood at some point. Lemme know what y'all think!


	6. Chapter 6: Actions

**Chapter 6: Actions**

"Come on Garou, come with me! I don't want to go without you," Maria pleaded. The two were sitting on the floor of his room with their books spawned out. She never let him go a day without making sure that he completed his homework. But their argument wasn't about school, it was about her new friends. He hated them. Lately, it was becoming clear that Maria would rather keep herself busy keeping that group of friends happy over their dreams of becoming monsters the world would fear. It no longer felt like a team up against the world. There was only frustration as he could do nothing but watch Maria's back as she began to fall into

"Then don't go!"

"Stop being an asshole and come!" She wanted the white-haired teen to come with her on a little trip to J-City where they would spend the weekend at the beach. He didn't understand why she would want to go waste time with a bunch of classmates.

"You can't even swim and why does it matter if I go or not? Go have fun with your new friends."

"Because-" Maria paused and blinked as if finally dawned on her that Garou was jealous of Naomi, "Are you jealous?"

Garou's cheeks turned red and he gave her an annoyed glare, "No, I'm annoyed yer befriending the enemy.

She was sitting in a seiza position facing him. She had a mixture of hurt and determination in her eyes, "Forget Naomi, I don't want to go because of her or the others. I thought it'd be something we could do together."

He raised a brow and looked over at her from where he sat. He let out an annoyed tch.

The day could not get any sourer for Garou. This was the third time Maria told him to go home without him. Naomi had been asking her for after school help and Maria never having another female friend couldn't help but comply in hopes of keeping her around. Ever since he told her he would be dropping out, that damn girl has been purposely trying to widen the gap between the two. Maybe out of spite he would go just to ruin their fun.

That was actually a good idea.

* * *

"Are ya gonna let me in?"

Maria stared at the white-haired man from the frame of her door. Was she dreaming? Was Garou really at her door? She pinched her arm. Ow. Okay, she was awake. This wasn't a dream. Garou was in fact, standing right before her; dressed in a black skin tight shirt that outlined each of his perfectly toned muscle, and a pair of loose white pants. In his hand there was a plastic bag full of what smelled like food.

"Let me think about it."

"Yeesh, are you going to make me beg?"

"That'd be a good start."

When she didn't budge the white-haired man gave her a shrug and slowly turned, "Alright, if ya don't want me around I guess I'll just take my leave."

Instinctively Maria grabbed at his shirt. _What a freaking jerk_, she fumed to herself. How did he still have complete control of the situation when she was the one that was upset? When he turned back to face her she was engulfed in dangerous aura, almost daring him to leave.

"Come back here you jerk!"

She shifted her body to the side allowing him to walk past her and into her tiny little home. Her eyes following him like a hawk. While one part of her was ready to embody the petty girlfriend persona in dire need of attention, there was another part of her that was still in disbelief that Garou was in her apartment. She wondered, had she hit her head too hard against the wall? She reached out and grabbed his arm, and shockingly enough her, hand didn't go right through him. What a relief to know her brain didn't receive extensive damage.

"What? What're ya doin'?"

"Making sure you're actually here."

"Why is it that shockin' to ya that I'm here? "

Maria's eyes narrowed, now that the surprise was beginning to ware off and responded sarcastically, " Well, I don't know Garou, maybe the fact that you've been MIA for the past five months!"

"MIA? Wha-? I told you I was going away for trainin.'"

"Goin' away for trainin' doesn't mean ya don't respond to my texts and ignore my phone calls," she imitated his speech pattern in an almost mocking way and folded her arms against her chest, "-which by the way, what the hell? I called you during the tournament and you declined my phone call!"

Garou rubbed the back of his neck, somehow calm despite Maria snapping at him, "Oi, I didn't want ya to find out it was me."

"Did you think I wouldn't find out the moment I saw you fight?"

"I guess that was just hopeful thinkin'. Besides why are you still angry? I don't remember you holdin' back in the fight. I still feel sore where ya hit me."

Maria's cheeks turned red when he acknowledged that her hits hurt. Her eyes widened and momentarily gave in to a childish excitement, after all, Garou rarely acknowledged her strength, "What? Really? I hurt you?"

"Why do ya sound so happy?"

"Because, that means I got stronger," there were stars in her eyes. She felt one step closer to him.

"Sadist."

Maria blinked at him. Wait a minute…was he changing the subject? Her smile fell back into a frown, "You ruined my chances at winning the price money!"

"No," he corrected, "I was gonna let you win but you ran yourself off the platfor-"

"Gahhh! Don't remind me!" she cried cutting him off by childishly hitting him, her face again beat red. She should not have removed the weights. Had she went in with a clear mind she would have approached the fight with a proper strategy. It was because she had known it was Garou and he always made her thoughts irrational.

"Why're ya hittin' me for!" he reacted but let the hits land knowing full well they didn't pack any serious punch.

"Because! If you answered my call and actually talked to me I would've known that! Why have you been so distant with me?!"

"Look I was there for a reason today and I didn't want any distractions."

His words felt like a slap in the face. Involuntarily she bit at her lower lip. Distraction? Her eyes were watering. Her presence had been a distraction. Her messages and calls were a distraction. Her care for him was just a distraction.

"No-I didn't mean it like that- Maria," his words were jumbled as he tried to explain himself. In the midst of it all he stopped himself and allowed himself a second to collect his thoughts. He then let out a heavy sigh, "You know I told ya before that I need to do this trainin', I was there today just so I could fight -."

"And I was doing it for the money! I needed that check so I could figure out what the hell to do with my life. Do you know how hard it's been to even find a job Garou?"

"I-"

"No. You don't because you never tried to. I'm going to lose this apartment by the end of this month and I'll have to go back to the dojo."

"Stop talkin' for one second," Garou responded with exasperation. He dug into his back pocket and pulled out a narrow envelope, "Take this."

Maria's eyes widened and her jaw almost dropped, Garou had money? She opened the little pack and counted nearly a million yen, "Is this from the-"

"Nah, I couldn't actually cash the check because it was under Wolfman's name buuttt, before I tied 'em up I got my hands on this-" he pulled out a sleek looking card, a debit card. There it was, his sly smirk finally plastered across his narrow lips. He even let out a snicker; proud of such degenerate actions of pit-pocketing a hero and stealing his identity.

"You're really high on the morality scale there Garou," she couldn't help but comment.

"If ya aren't happy about how I got it you can give it here," He raised his hand as if waiting for her to return it, "Feelin' bad for a damn hero who's already swimming in money he doesn't deserve. You really have gone soft."

Maria would rather bite off a hand than give the money back. She hugged the envelope to her chest and shook her head frantically, "I'm not judging, I looted a water fountain."

"…what?"

"Desperate times call for desperate measures- man this can cover another three months rent. It'll give me enough time to find a job. I need to find a job, but what can I work as with my skill set? I really don't want to be a bodyguard and I don't have the moral code to be a police officer. Ugh, maybe I should concentrate on my fire abilities and learn not burn food. God I wish I could go to college for something.." Maria went off on a tangent, Garou momentarily wiped from existence as she tried to calculate her life for the next few months.

Only then was it that Garou realized how long they had been apart. There was a sense of guilt that followed, this was the longest time they went without each other all their lives. He listened to her calculating tone, how fast she was talking only gave him a glimmer of how quick her thoughts were going. It was similar to her survival mode when she was in a fight…did she feel like she had to survive her circumstances now? Oi, oi, all this time he always said Maria was the selfish one.

"Sorry."

Maria who had moved on to counting the bills in the envelope glanced up as the apology left his lips. Her cheeks still flushed red every time there was about to be any kind of affectionate moment. His heart tightened as it did when she had such undeniably cute expressions.

"Oh-well, you're still not forgiven," she responded bluntly pulling him out of his trance. She turned her back to him and went to sit at the table, "You think money will win me over? You were gone for months."

"Woman, I told you ahead of time that I'd be gone for a while! I needed to train to become a hero hunter and become the strongest mons-"

'_Not this again,_' the black-haired woman was overwhelmed with a sense of worry. While both had a skewed moral-code, the recent years had proved that they had drastically different ideas on where their lines were, and she feared that Garou's loose sense of right and wrong would end up getting him killed or worse; she feared he might well be on his way into turning into an actual physical monster. She recalled how bad their last argument ended over the matter and decided that she rather change the subject.

"What did you bring?"

"I brought yer favorite," he dropped to the floor and began to empty out the plastic bag full of containers. Maria leaned against the table, "Hamburger steak?"

"What? Yer favorite is hamburger steak?" he blurted in surprise only to take it back with a bashful laugh when she threw him a glare, "I'm kiddin' yeesh yer so winded up."

"And for good reason. Another smart-ass comment like that and I'll kick you out," she threatened and opened her container. She was instantly greeted with the warm inviting smell of a hot meal. The bag had the logo of her favorite restaurant printed on it. The little things made her heart race, "Thanks for the measles!" both said in unison. Both blinked up at each other, making eye contact before letting a small snicker under their breaths.

It felt like a dream having him back. Though her senses were telling her she was awake, Maria couldn't believe Garou was sitting there in her living room. He sat there chomping away at his meal, making himself right at home. It was what she had always wanted. When they finished eating, he laid himself on the floor pleased with the amount of food he had inhaled, "Phew! I hadn't eaten like that in weeks!" he exclaimed.

Maria raised a brow as she got up to clean up, "Haven't?"

"You can only dine and dash so many times before people catch on."

Then it hit Maria, where has been Garou staying if not with her, "Garou...Where have you been staying?"

He sat up and gave her a shrug, "Nowhere particular, I change places frequen-"

"You're homeless," she gave him the short answer. He waved his hand as if trying to make light of the reveal, "I choose to train in the fores-"

"You've been fucking homeless for 5 months?" her blood was hot with anger again but she tried to look passed it, "Just let it go Maria, let it go."

Just then the ugly orange cat finally decided to crawl out from under the couch and hopped onto the square table. It pressed its nose against Garou's empty container and gave it a couple licks. He raised a brow, surprised by the unexpected third party, "You have a cat?"

"Eh, I wouldn't say I have a cat. The little fucker keeps finding his way back into my apartment-careful he scratches strangers-" Maria's jaw dropped as the hostile cat purred loudly as Garou gave it a pat on his head. _What the actual…fuck_. _The little asshole even hopped into his lap._ The cat made direct eye contact with Maria as if it were trying to say something.

He got to his feet and sloppily pushed the trash into the bag. As he approached Maria in the kitchen she took the bag from his hand, "When was the last time you showered?"

That took an unexpected turn. He gave her a smirk, what was she insinuating? Was this how she wanted him to say he was sorry? He took a step closer to her, trapping her against the counter. While they were close to the same height, his frame and muscular build made him feel much taller as she shrank before him in comparison, "Why do ya wanna know?" She responded by putting a hand against his chest, her touch electric. His stomach suddenly felt tight with excitement. He definitely missed this.

"You smell like the outdoor and sweat. You can use my shower."

And in a blink of an eye she pushed him off her and slipped out of his hold. Damn, he felt that more than any of her strongest punches, "Ouch. Okay maybe I did deserve that." He made sure she wasn't looking before taking a quick sniff at himself. He did need a shower.

* * *

Maria could hear the shower running from her room. After reaching a point where she thought this apartment would never be shared with anyone else, it was almost weird to her that it was happening. There was a tight feeling in chest, and the butterflies in her stomach had come to life. It had been a long while since they…she shook off the thoughts. What kind of girl would she be if she forgave such behavior? Every time she thought about how easy it was for him to live without her.

She shook her head and took off her wool cardigan to examine her left arm. It was a ritual done before bed. First, she would take a couple of lit candles and let her fingers trace through the dancing flames, then her arm. Sometimes it felt like a pleasant tickle, sometimes she felt nothing at all. The blistered and torn skin that once decorated her arm were now smoother yet held a very pigmented red color in comparison to a normally healed burn. Five minutes in, the palms of her hands had a faint glow, leaving herself completely entranced until it faded away.

"Looks like you haven't out grown old habits, eh?"

The young woman still captivated, slowly turned her head over toward Garou who watched her from the frame of the door. He wore nothing but a towel around his waist allowing her to see every muscle glisten in the light. There were still trickles of water trailing down his skin. Had he somehow got even bigger than before? She blushed, turned back to her dresser to put out the flames with her fingers, and tried to not make her physical attraction to him so obvious, "Go put some clothes on."

"Why? It's not like we haven't seen each other naked before," He answered back in a chilled manner. He made his way to her until he was right behind her. His eyes caught hers in the mirror and he gave her a devious smirk until he caught sight of all the bandages around her torso. He took her by the arm and pull her to face him.

"Those weren't from today."

Maria shook her head and instinctively tried to fold her arms over them only to have Garou, pull her arms apart and bring her closer to him. She caught sight of the red marks she'd left on his arms.

"Training? There's no way the Old Man would do this."

"I needed to see if I can handle an A-class hero so I beat a demon level monster."

Garou's eyes lit up, impressed by her accomplishment. He gave her a smirk, "Demon level?! Ya might give me a run for my money soon," Fighting to get strong enough to fight a hero was a weird thing to make him excited, but then again, he knew himself well enough to know that it made perfect sense. He let go of her arms, and instead wrapped his around her waist. Whatever space left between them was gone. Her hands traced up his forearms hesitantly, her fingers tracing over his perfectly toned muscles until she finally wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Baka, I already am."

He could feel her breath against his. Her grey eyes stared into his amber ones. Her cheeks flushed a deep red as if this were her first time about to kiss him. He must have hit his head hard at some point in training because he could not find a good enough reason to justify being apart from her for so long.

In attempt to rid himself of the guilt he leaned over and swept her lips into a deeply passionate kiss.

* * *

**Chapter End**

**Author's Note**: I really really hope I didn't screw up Garou's personality in this chapter! I had to reread and rewatch his scenes multiple times to try to get it right. I hope you enjoyed the chapter and character interactions. Anyways, I wasn't really sure how much smut would be allowed in a T rating. Should I go full rated M next chapter? Should I keep it light? What do you guys think? I'll try to get the next chapter next week or the one after! I'll be working on my BNHA fanfic in the meantime. Give me a review on what you think and what you want to see next!


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